Flooding caused by a faulty part in the heating system at Pond Cove Elementary School in Cape Elizabeth forced classes online early this week, but the affected classrooms were all back in suitable shape for in-person learning by Thursday.

As students and staff were getting ready to return from February vacation on Feb. 27, a teacher who arrived at the school early Monday discovered the water damage and reported it. Part of the heating system in the ceiling of a second-grade classroom was later deemed responsible.

“That caused significant damage in that room, in terms of ceiling tiles, some laptops, student work, artwork,” Superintendent Chris Record told The Forecaster.

The flooding spread to neighboring second-grade classrooms and leaked through the floor to a first-grade classroom and the main office below.

All Pond Cove classes were remote on Monday, Tuesday was a snow day, and all but one class returned to in-person classes  Wednesday. That remaining classroom reopened Thursday.

Record praised maintenance and custodial staff for springing into action.

“They really did a great job with pumps and dehumidifiers and pulling out all the damage; sheetrock, ceiling tiles, books,” Record said. “They turned it over fast.”